Horizons, the honored vegan destination on Seventh Street south of South Street, is preparing to move on after five years. Timetable has it remaining open till July 4 or so, pending transfer of the liquor license.

Husband-wife team Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby are staying in the game. They are preparing to sign a lease for a new spot in Center City, as they want to, in their words, "take the next step."

Their new menu will be based on vegan cuisine that's all about beautifully prepared vegetables.

"We don't want to focus on proteins at the center of the plate," says Jacoby.

Landau says he will cook with tofu, of course, but he is on the fence about his future relationship with seitan. (People calling it "fake steak" make his blood boil.)

Landau first made his mark in 1994 with Horizons Cafe, a casual spot inside a Willow Grove health-food store. In their new location, they will assume a different identity.

The new owner of the two-story Horizons building will be a wood-fired pizzeria from Tom Grim and Stalin Bedon, who own the celebrated Nomad Pizza in Hopewell, N.J. No name yet; timeline calls for a September opening.

Me, too - it's always nice to have a tofu/tempeh/seitan option - but it's more impressive when someone can compose inspired dishes out of amazing vegetables & legumes. I know they have the talent to do it. The grilled seitan is so legendary that they should probably put the recipe on the website for the diehards.

The grilled seitan is my go-to dish for Horizons ... it's something I can't make for myself easily at home, if at all. I can cook all the vegetables I want at home ... if he takes that off the menu, there's no more reason IMHO to go there and pay those high prices.

Pick up some Ray's Seitan, rinse and drain it over paper towels, season it, and saute over high heat with a decent amount of oil. I watched Rich cook this at a demo and that's all there really is to it.

It'll do the trick - I make it all the time. There's a bunch of tips in the cookbooks.

I would so much rather have really tricked out veg - his sauces are amazing - and he has this ability to take you to any country you want to go to with a dish. He can do so much more than seitan.

The grilled seitan is my go-to dish for Horizons ... it's something I can't make for myself easily at home, if at all. I can cook all the vegetables I want at home ... if he takes that off the menu, there's no more reason I am a ho to go there and pay those high prices.

Hmm that’s interesting. To me any restaurant that can produce a meal that I thoroughly enjoy and come back for I would have confidence that they would be able to produce another meal that was equally as tasty with other ingredients.

So, did I miss something in the article, or is there no specific time or location for their next restaurant?

Right??

I'm glad the team is going to have a new restaurant, but I wish Horizons could stay open too! Sad faced! And I bet the pizzeria taking over doesn't have vegan options (not that we need it, but stillll).

They are negotiating a couple of locations in Midtown Village, looking to open shortly after they close in early July. I do think that Midtown is a lot easier to get to as it's right near the train, and 13th Street is like Foodie Row.

The grilled seitan is my go-to dish for Horizons ... it's something I can't make for myself easily at home, if at all. I can cook all the vegetables I want at home ... if he takes that off the menu, there's no more reason I am a ho to go there and pay those high prices.

Hmm that’s interesting. To me any restaurant that can produce a meal that I thoroughly enjoy and come back for I would have confidence that they would be able to produce another meal that was equally as tasty with other ingredients.

---I just have a love on for that grilled seitan steak. I have no idea what Rich uses to season it. I got to Horizons so seldom that I always ordered the steak. We have been customers of Horizons ever since it was a lunch counter at Nature's Harvest in Willow Grove and it was called "Food of the Future."

I'm glad the team is going to have a new restaurant, but I wish Horizons could stay open too! Sad faced! And I bet the pizzeria taking over doesn't have vegan options (not that we need it, but stillll).

Yeah someone should open an all-vegan pizza and hoagie shop on the east-side of town somewhere. Call it Blackcat... or Bluebird... Iono... I'd go there though.

onthevedge wrote:

They are negotiating a couple of locations in Midtown Village, looking to open shortly after they close in early July. I do think that Midtown is a lot easier to get to as it's right near the train, and 13th Street is like Foodie Row.

That'd be a great location, indeed. Wish they'd consider something more Westerly - all the good stuff is East of Broad!